The most common method of cleaning clothing, bed sheets or similar articles is to water wash them using detergents, bleaches, etcetera in a washing machine. After the washing cycle has been completed, the articles are then generally placed in a heated dryer. However, this method of washing and drying does not ensure elimination of bacterial contamination of the articles. The washing cycle is effective against visible stains and the like but does not necessarily kill bacteria and germ spores.
It is known that ozone is a bacteria fighting agent. One particular means for producing ozone is an electrical corona grid. It is also known that special dryers can be built with electrical corona grids such as the dryer shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,877,152, issued Apr. 15, 1975 to Gorman. However, a structure such as the Gorman dryer is really not something that could be practically used in a standard residental set up because of both the complexity and the cost involved with the Gorman dryer. In fact, the Gorman dryer is likely too complex to even be used for industrial purposes or in a laundry mat or the like.
There is a need for a dryer which is simple and inexpensive enough to be used domestically but which has the capability of being effective against bacterial contamination of articles to be placed in the dryer.